Raritan, New Jersey
, Geographic Names Information System. Accessed January 4, 2008. |elevation_m = 29 |elevation_ft = 95 |coordinates_region = US-NJ |coordinates_display = display=inline,title |latd = 40.572127 |longd = -74.646514 |postal_code_type = ZIP codes |postal_code = 08869, 08896 |area_code = 908 |blank_name = FIPS code |blank_info = 34-61980 A Cure for the Common Codes: New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed July 14, 2008. |blank1_name = GNIS feature ID |blank1_info = 0885365 |website = http://www.raritanboro.org |footnotes = }} Raritan is a Borough in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 6,881.2010 Census Data, accessed February 11, 2011. Geography Raritan is located at (40.572127,-74.646514). According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 2.037 square miles (5.276 km2), of which, 1.993 square miles (5.162 km2) of it is land and 0.044 square miles (0.114 km2) of it (2.15%) is water. Raritan is in the western division of the Raritan Valley (a line of cities in central New Jersey), along with Branchburg and Bridgewater. History Raritan Town was originally established as a subdivision within Bridgewater Township by act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 3, 1868. After a series of bitter lawsuits between Raritan and Bridgewater in the 1930s and 1940s, the Legislature allowed Raritan to become an independent Borough by an Act on May 12, 1948, based on the results of a referendum passed on June 12, 1948. The new borough incorporated the old town and an additional portion of Bridgewater Township."The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 224. The Knox-Porter Resolution ending United States involvement in World War I was signed by President Harding at the estate of New Jersey Senator Joseph Sherman Frelinghuysen, Sr. on July 2, 1921.Staff. "Raritan marks the 90th anniversary of the official end of WW1", The Messenger-Gazette, September 12, 2011. Accessed January 10, 2012. "President Warren G. Harding signed the Knox-Porter Resolution on July 2, 1921 on the estate of Joseph Sherman Frelinghuysen, officially ending America’s involvement in World War 1. A ceremony marking the event was held on Sept. 10 at the Raritan library."Staff. "HARDING CONSULTS OVER PROCLAIMING STATUS OF PEACE; Confers With Hughes at White House on Need of a Presidential Declaration. NEW TREATY CONSIDERED Belief Persists in Some Quarters That Part of Versailles Agreement Will Be Used. WILL STAND BY THE ALLIES But No Decision Is Announced as to the Form of the Administration's Action.", The New York Times, July 6, 1921. Accessed January 10, 2012. "Secretary of State Hughes went to the white House this afternoon shortly after the return of President Harding from his weekend visit to the home of Senator Frelinghuysen, at Raritan, N.J., and conferred with the President..." Demographics As of the census of 2000, there were 6,338 people, 2,556 households, and 1,671 families residing in the borough. The population density was 3,113.8 people per square mile (1,199.6/km2). There were 2,644 housing units at an average density of 1,299.0 per square mile (500.4/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 87.74% White, 0.93% African American, 0.08% Native American, 8.17% Asian, 0.16% Pacific Islander, 1.64% from other races, and 1.28% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.41% of the population. There were 2,556 households out of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.0% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.6% were non-families. 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.08. In the borough the population was spread out with 22.3% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 35.0% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 92.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.1 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $51,122, and the median income for a family was $59,962. Males had a median income of $46,071 versus $35,704 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $26,420. About 5.5% of families and 6.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.0% of those under age 18 and 12.8% of those age 65 or over. Government Local government Raritan is governed under the Borough form of New Jersey municipal government. The government consists of a Mayor and a Borough Council comprising six council members, with all positions elected at large. A Mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The Borough Council consists of six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year. As of 2012, the Mayor of the Borough of Raritan is Jo-Ann Liptak (term expires December 31, 2015). Members of the Raritan Borough Council are Council President Stefanie Gara (2012), Denise Carra (2014), Paul Giraldi (2013), Gregory Lobell (2012), Anthony Soriano, Jr. (2013) and Donald Tozzi (2014).Raritan's Mayor and Boro Council, Borough of Raritan. Accessed March 1, 2012. Rocco Miele was Raritan's first mayor, serving from its founding in 1948 to 1953.Raritan's Mayors, Raritan Online. Accessed November 26, 2011. Federal, state and county representation Raritan is in the 11th Congressional district. Raritan is in the Education Students from Raritan attend the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District, together with students from Bridgewater Township. Approximately 1,000 students of the 8,800 students in the district are from Raritan. All of the school facilities are in Bridgewater, except for John F. Kennedy School, which is in Raritan. Schools in the district (with 2008-09 enrollment data from the National Center for Education StatisticsData for the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed March 30, 2011.) are seven K-4 elementary schools — Adamsville School (531 students), Bradley Gardens School (363), Crim School (444), Hamilton School (451), John F. Kennedy School (466), Milltown School (531) and Van Holten School (495) — both Eisenhower Intermediate School (846) and Hillside Intermediate School (576) for grades 5&6, Bridgewater-Raritan Middle School (1,521) for grades 7&8 and Bridgewater-Raritan High School (2,863) for grades 9-12. During the 1999-2000 school year, Bridgewater-Raritan High School was recognized with the Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education,Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 1982-1983 through 1999-2002 (PDF), United States Department of Education. Accessed March 30, 2011. the highest award an American school can receive from the federal government."CIBA cited as one of the best by Education Department", Journal Inquirer, November 16, 2006. "The Blue Ribbon award is given only to schools that reach the top 10 percent of their state's testing scores over several years or show significant gains in student achievement. It is considered the highest honor a school can achieve.""Viers Mill School Wins Blue Ribbon; School Scored High on Statewide Test" The Washington Post, September 29, 2005. "For their accomplishments, all three schools this month earned the status of Blue Ribbon School, the highest honor the U.S. Education Department can bestow upon a school." Transportation The Raritan train station offers New Jersey Transit service on the Raritan Valley Line. The station is north of the town center on Thompson Street. The station building is south of the tracks in the main parking lot and was built in the early 1890s. There are also three other small lots for this station. Raritan is the last station to the west that is serviced by all Raritan Valley Line trains. Notable residents Notable current and former residents of Raritan include: * John Basilone (1916–45), awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Guadalcanal.Hochron, Adam. "Brother returns first time to Raritan's Basilone Parade", The Reporter, September 9, 2004. Accessed September 8, 2007. " Basilone, born in 1916, grew up in Raritan until joining the Army in 1934. After serving for three years in the Philippines, he returned home for a few years before enlisting in the Marine Corps." * Isaac Brokaw (1746–1826), clockmaker. * Ben Carnevale (1915–2008), basketball coach inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1970.Frezza Jr., Harry. "Raritan man attends Final Four for 57th time", Courier News, April 1, 2001. Accessed August 2, 2007. "Ben Carnevale, who turns 86 on Oct. 30, has had the kind of life some people might call legendary. In fact, when you look at his life, which began in a house just off the last trolley stop on Gaston Avenue in Raritan Borough, you might agree. The 1934 Somerville High School graduate is a member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. He is also the winningest coach in United States Naval Academy history, a survivor of a ship that was torpedoed during World War II, and somebody who had a lot to do with building the NCAA basketball tournament." * Joseph Sherman Frelinghuysen, Sr. (1869-1948), U.S. Senator representing New Jersey.Joseph Sherman Frelinghuysen, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed January 10, 2012. References External links * Raritan Borough official web site * Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District * * Data for the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District, National Center for Education Statistics Category:Boroughs in Somerset County, New Jersey Category:Place names of Native American origin in New Jersey Category:Established in 1948 Category:Raritan, New Jersey